[Role of the orientation of the collagen fibers on the mechanical properties of the carotid wall].

Mechanical test was applied to several carotid walls air-dried under different degree of deformation along the circumferential direction. The stress-strain curves show an increase of the elastic modulus as a function of the deformation. X-ray diffraction studies were applied to determine the degree of collagen orientation in the deformed samples. The carotid wall, in agreement with the "composite materials theory", shows that the collagen is the most responsible factor of the mechanical properties of the tissue.